Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Pier
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Pier
Harvesting crab is a very popular activity at the Pier in Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver. We found these interesting facts about Dungeness Crab.
"Fishing for Dungeness Crab also called Harvesting Crab Dungeness Crab (Cancer Magister) are the most important crab species of British Columbia. This
crab is one of the 35 true crabs living in Canada's Pacific waters. Its common
name, Dungeness, was inspired by the name of a fishing port near Puget Sound,
Washington."
"Dungeness crabs grow by moulting, a process whereby the old
shell is shed. The new shell
underneath absorbs water and swells to a new size 15-30%
larger, and then hardens over a period of several months. Dungeness crabs live about six to nine years. Males
generally do not grow larger than 215 mm, and females 165 mm carapace width."
"Crabs must be measured immediately and undersized crabs released immediately.
Dungeness crab must be at least 165 mm in width."
"Dungeness crab have an oval-shaped carapace that is
yellow-brown to purplish. They have four pairs of walking legs and a pair of
claws. The claws have light-coloured tips, sharp serated teeth and a pronounced
hook at the tips, distinguishing it from similar species. Dungeness crab can
weigh up to two kilograms and have a shell diameter exceeding 200 millimetres,
but crabs of this size are uncommon because of the intensity with which they
are fished."
"The Dungeness crab is distributed along the west coast from
Mexico to Alaska. It inhabits waters up to depths of about 180 metres. Although
these crabs can sometimes be spotted on mud and gravel, they prefer sandy
bottoms and shallow cool waters around eelgrass."
"Predators of the Dungeness crab include octopus, halibut,
dogfish, sculpin, birds and other crabs. Crabs are most vulnerable immediately
after they've moulted when their bodies are soft and lack the protection of a
hard shell."
Harvesting the Dungeness crab
"Dungeness crabs are an important part of the diet of coastal
Aboriginal peoples. There are also healthy commercial and recreational
Dungeness crab industries. The crabs are captured through trap fishery: traps
are baited and left either individually or together on a line over night or for
several days."
"In Canada, Dungeness crabs are fished year round, although
the period from May to October tends to be the most fruitful for fishermen.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada regulates the Dungeness crab fishery primarily
through minimum catch size limitations-a way to protect male crabs until they
become sexually mature, giving them the chance to spawn at least once before
they are harvested. The department also restricts the harvesting of female
crabs, closes fishing seasons to protect soft shell crabs when necessary,
limits the number of fishing licenses, and regulates gear."
Sources of the above facts and More interesting information can be found at Fisheries and Oceans Canada website:
Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Pier Pictures
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Families Fishing and Dungeness Crab Harvesting at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |
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Fishing for Dungeness Crab at Jericho Beach Pier - Vancouver |